Elkhart’s Jobless Rate Fell Slightly in March

The jobless rate for Elkhart County, Ind., fell to 15.2% in March, down slightly from 15.5% in February and 15.6% in January, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development reported today (April 16). However, the county, which relies heavily on the RV industry for jobs, retained the highest jobless rate in the state.

Indiana’s preliminary seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for March 2010 increased by 0.1% to 9.9%, but the number of Hoosier jobs increased by 16,600. That is the largest over-the-month employment increase since September 2005. The monthly increase in the unemployment rate is not considered statistically significant.

“Ten percent of all jobs added in the U.S. (162,000) in March were located in Indiana, but more Hoosiers returned to the work force last month, impacting the rate,” said Teresa Voors, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.